Briefly

Magic, music and stories will be featured at the Douglas Library's annual St. Patrick's Day Party on Saturday.

"Wear green," said librarian Carol Race, who is organizing the family event with Rhonda Gardinier. The event will begin at noon and last about an hour and a half.

Grace Elliot and Cindy Boesser will tell stories. Lis Saya and friends will perform traditional Irish music and provide music for Irish dancing at the end. Green snacks will be served.

"Pat McLear does a wonderful Irish tale with an Irish accent," Race said. "And there'll be a bit of magic with Jeff Brown."

There is no charge for the event, which is sponsored by the Friends of the Juneau Public Library.

High school holds Spring Concert

Seven musical groups from the JuneauDouglas High School department will perform in concert next week. There is no charge.

The Juneau-Douglas High School Spring Concert will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the school auditorium. The performance will feature musicians from seven musical groups at JDHS. The concert will include sets by the jazz band, the jazz choir, the treble choir, the intermediate band, the concert band, the men's choir and the wind ensemble. Susan Horst conducts the choirs and Ken Guiher directs the bands.

ACTfest canceled in Haines

Community theaters in Alaska will not be participating in the American Community Theatre festival, known as ACTfest, this year. The Alaska competition for the national event has been canceled. Usually the Alaska gathering is held every other year in April in Haines.

Mimi Gregg of Haines has been involved in the organization of the event for many years.

"Organizers with groups up North got behind," Gregg said. "It requires planning. We have hopes that if we get started planning (now) we'll have it for 2003."

The event is a week-long gathering of community theater groups for workshops and performances. Two years ago, the JuneauDouglas Little Theatre competed against groups from Fairbanks, Seward and Haines. The Juneau group's production of "Steel Magnolia" was honored with the best production award and then judged against other state winners for the regional title. Regional winners go on to the American Community Theatre Festival national competition held every June.